Soft armor shield methods and apparatus

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus allow a user to easily deploy and position an assembled shield, both independent of a backpack and when attached to the backpack.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/615,612 filed Jan. 10, 2018, which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the technical field of personal safety, andmore specifically towards personal safety in a public setting when anarmed assailant may be present.

Backpacks with armor such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,132 toReed et al. illustrate the need for that type of personal safetyapparatus. However, there is a need for better armor apparatus that iseasily carried and easy to hold in an emergency. Additionally, it isdesirable to allow a consumer to hold a backpack easily in a defensiveposture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention in one aspect is a soft body armor panel within aportable soft case designed and configured to be attached to backpacksand other personal gear by various means and/or methods.

This product can utilize readily available soft body armor panels in newand unique ways to increase personal protection and allow for a possibleresponse to gunfire or other attacks. An armor panel is cut to roughlythe size of the rear of any backpack, covered in material of varioustypes and colors depending on consumer requirements to form a shield.The shield can then be attached to the backpack though any number ofattachment means, such as Velcro, snaps, sewn, etc. Attached to thecover can be forearm straps or other mechanisms which can allow theconsumer to remove the backpack, insert a forearm through this feature,and use the armored backpack as a shield, allowing escape andpotentially a short period of return fire should the wearer have themeans to do so.

The present invention in one embodiment is a portable soft armor shieldattached to any type of bag or backpack. The armor enhances personalprotection and can offer offensive capabilities in some situationsincluding some extreme situations.

One embodiment is a backpack with a built-in armor and has both a pairof shoulder straps and a pair of forearm straps. The shoulder strapsallow the consumer to easily carry the backpack. The forearm strapsallow the consumer to hold the backpack easily in a defensive posture toaid in retreat or provide cover from attack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an assembled shield including a shield body and aplurality of forearm straps.

FIG. 2 illustrates the assembled shield attach to a backpack via aplurality of attachment members.

FIG. 3 illustrates that a user may insert his forearm within the forearmstraps and use the shield as armor.

FIG. 4 illustrates that the shield can be assembled by folding an outercover over an armored panel.

FIG. 5 also illustrates that the shield can be assembled by folding anouter cover over an armored panel.

FIG. 6 also illustrates that the shield can be assembled by folding anouter cover over an armored panel.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cutaway view showing a user holding a backpack withthe assembled shield via a plurality of forearm straps.

FIG. 8 illustrates an assembled shield that includes a handgrip.

FIG. 9 illustrates that the armor panel can be shaped specific to anindividual backpack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an assembled shield apparatus 100 including a shieldballistic portion 102 and a plurality of forearm straps 104 a and 104 b.The forearm straps 104 a and 104 b allow a user to conveniently hold andposition shield apparatus 100 when desired. FIG. 2 illustrates assembledshield apparatus 100 attach to a backpack 150 via a plurality ofattachment members 152. A plurality of shoulder straps 108 a and 108 b(collectively straps 108) are provided for a user to carry the book bagor backpack 150, which can be used to store items because the areadefined by the walls of the backpack forms a storage portion. Theattachment members 152 can be any known means of attachment such asattachment stitches 154, a running (continuous) attachment stitch 156,rivets (or snaps) 158, a button 157, and/or a hook and loop likeapparatus (not shown). The attachment stitches 154 provide attachmenteven if some stitches 154 should fail or break. While continuous stitch156 allows for an easier removal of shield 100 from backpack 150 ifdesired.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a user 159 may insert his forearm withinforearm straps 104 a and 104 b and use shield apparatus 100 (alsoreferred to herein as “shield 100”) as armor. The shield 100 may be usedas an armor or as a shield while attached to backpack 150 or in anunattached state. The armor 100 (shield) is also referred herein as aballistic shield portion. Notably and as illustrated best in FIG. 2,book bag 150 includes both shoulder straps and forearm straps, in oneembodiment. The shoulder straps allow the user to carry the book bag,while the forearm straps allow the user to easily use the shield 100 asa shield.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 the shield can be assembled byfolding an outer cover 160 over an armored panel 170 in accordance withone embodiment. Typically, the armored panel 170 is relatively soft andflexible and is cut to size to allow a border 190 to be used for theattachment of the cover 160 to itself. In other words, border 190 actsas an attachment area. The forearm straps 104 a and 104 b are attachedto the outer cover via a plurality of strap attachment members 180 a,180 b, 180 c, and 180 d (collectively 180). Typically the strapattachment members 180 are end portions of the straps 104 wherein theouter cover 160 has openings in which the end portions pass through toan interior side 182 and are attached thereto. The assembled shield 100can be attached to the backpack 150 via attachment members 152 in apermanent fashion (or manner) or in a temporary fashion (or manner).Additionally, the forearm straps 104 can be directly attached tobackpack 150 and not to or via shield 100. For example, in oneembodiment, straps 104 are installed on a backpack and then shield 100may be placed inside the backpack totally independent of the straps 104.Of course, in this embodiment, while the shield 100 may be userremovable, shield 100 typically would not have forearm straps. However,it is possible for both the backpack and the shield to both have forearmstraps.

By temporary, it is meant that a user can detach the shield from thebackpack. By permanent fashion, it is meant that the shield is not userdetachable. Referring again to FIGS. 4-6, the armored panel 170 can besewn into a fabric outer cover or it may be fastened with a zipper orother means in order to allow for the panel to be removed or replaced.It is contemplated that panels of different ballistic stopping strengthsmay be employed. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has definedBallistic Levels so that different levels correspond to differentstopping capabilities. Moreover, in one embodiment the herein describedmethods and apparatus provide for the customization of protectionlevels. This customization is both in a factory setting and by the enduser in a home or school environment and the like (i.e., a non-factorysetting). The armored panel 170 can be sealed in the cover 160 with azipper and the cover 16 can be attached to the backpack also with azipper. Additionally, the armored panel 170 and cover 160 can bepermanently attached to the backpack while leaving access to the zipperof cover 160 which allows for the replacement of one panel 170 withanother panel 170 by the user.

For example, a consumer may purchase an assembled shield or a book bagwith an assembled shield attached thereto and at a later date want toupgrade their purchased shield with a stronger more expensive armorpanel then the armor panel that came with their original purchase.Therefore, one embodiment has a user removable armor panel 170. However,other embodiments do not have a user replaceable panel 170.

Additionally, an armor panel 170 can be installed as a retrofit option.In other words, an already purchased backpack or other apparatus forwhich an armor panel may be desired to be included therein can be fittedwith an armor panel. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, acustomer can bring their already obtained book-bag type backpack (or anyother type backpack or portable object) to a place (storefront, kioskinside a store or a shopping center such as but not limited to a mall)where an armor panel can be cut to fit on the spot and installed toallow that customer the benefits of the invention. This way, all brandsof backpacks can be improved upon by including an armor panel as hereindescribed. The retrofitted assembly may be such that the user can removethe armor panel or it may be fixed such that the user utilizes theentire backpack as an armored backpack.

Referring now to one embodiment of the invention in more detail, thereis herein shown and described that the soft body armor panel is cut tosize for a sample backpack. The panel is shaped to meet the contours ofthat particular backpack. The panel is then covered in material thatwill enable the panel to be attached to the backpack in a way that doesnot draw attention to the shield. The fabric can be any material whichwill not interfere with the function of the shield. It is assumed thatthe fabric will be determined at the time of assembly based on customerrequirements and personal desire. The shield also has a forearmattachment apparatus or mechanism that is built into the cover, whichwill allow the user to remove the backpack, slide an arm into the slingformed by one or more forearm straps, and utilize the backpack as ashield for personal protection. For best results, the attachmentapparatus is soft and flexible such that a wearer of the backpack doesnot appreciably feel the soft forearm straps. The completed shield isattached to the backpack via a variety of means, again depending oncustomer requirements and personal choice. The shield does not have tobe sewn into the backpack, but can be if so desired.

Additionally the shield may be sewn using a plurality of individualstitches (154 in FIG. 2) or may be sewn using a single continuous stitch(156 in FIG. 2) which in one embodiment is made to allow to user to pullon the stitch 156 and remove the stitch 156 easily allowing the shieldto be easily removed from the backpack and used independent from theback pack. A zipper attachment also allows for easy consumer separationof the shield from the backpack. As does a loop and hook attachment.However, the shield being attached to the backpack in conjunction withthe forearm straps allows a user to wield the backpack better as abludgeon like weapon than without the forearm straps. In other words,the forearm straps in addition to allowing the user to better positionthe shield for defense against a ballistic attack, the forearm strapsalso allow for better control of the backpack overall and especiallywhen it may be desirable to hit a person with the backpack.

Additionally as explained below, some embodiments include a handgripeither perpendicular or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the forearmstraps and the handgrip also aides in positioning the shield alone or incombination with the backpack. Although shown with two forearm straps,it is contemplated that the benefits of the invention accrue toembodiments with only one forearm strap. And that the forearm strap canbe relatively wide forming a tunnel or sling for which the user'sforearm is inserted therein. By forearm strap, it is meant that thestrap is sized to accommodate a user's forearm in such a manner that theuser can position the shield utilizing the user's forearm and theforearm strap. As opposed to forearm straps, shoulder straps are toolarge to accommodate a user's forearm in such a manner that the usercannot similarly position the shield utilizing the user's forearm andthe shoulder strap. Additionally, shoulder straps are at the top of thebackpack while forearm straps are typically more centered in thebackpack. However, it is contemplated that the forearm straps can bepositioned anywhere on the shield and accordingly anywhere on thebackpack. As long as a user can at least partially support the shield orbackpack using his forearm, then the forearm strap is appropriatelysized and placed.

FIG. 7 illustrates a partial cutaway view showing the user 159 holdingthe backpack 150 with the assembled shield 100 via a plurality offorearm straps 104 a and 104 b. FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate that thatas opposed to the armor panel being rectangle as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7,the armor panel can be rounded on one or both ends as shown in FIGS.4-6. In different Ecommerce examples, a customer may order the armoredpaneled precut to a desired shape. Alternatively, the panel comes indifferent sizes and the user will trim it to fit his or her particularbackpack. Typically, the outer cover is a soft material such as a fabricthat easy as easily bendable and storable such that the panel itself ismore of defining the size and shape of the assembled shield rather thanthe size of the outer cover. In other words the panel is sizedapproximately the size of the backpack while the outer panel can bequite a bit larger because the outer cover material is so flexible to befolded out of the way. The panel can be embedded or attached through anyknown means. The panel could be sewn in. The panel could be attachedusing a hook and loop means. The panel could be glued in. The panel canbe stapled in. As stated earlier, the panel could be permanentlyinstalled or user removably installed.

FIG. 8 illustrates assembled shield 100 including a handgrip 192.Handgrip 192 can be operationally coupled in a parallel configurationwith respect to forearm straps 104 as shown in the upper half of FIG. 8or in a perpendicular orientation with respect to straps 104 asillustrated in the bottom portion of FIG. 8. In other words, eachelement 104 a, 104 b, and 192 all inherently have a longitudinal axisand the axes can be aligned (in parallel) as shown on top of FIG. 8 orelement 192 can be perpendicular to 104 a and 104 b as shown in thebottom of FIG. 8. It should be appreciated that while forearm straps 104add a substantial ability to easily and accurately position shield 100with or without backpack 150, the presence of a handgrip in addition tothe forearm straps can aid further in the ease and accuracy of handlingof the shield 100.

FIG. 9 illustrates that the armor panel 170 can be shaped specific to anindividual backpack. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 9, thearmor panel is tapered from top to bottom. Also illustrated in FIG. 9 isa rotatable attachment means 194 for the handgrip 192 allowing for theuser to rotate the handgrip 192 from one orientation (parallel orperpendicular) to another orientation (perpendicular or parallel).

Exemplary embodiments are described above in detail. The assemblies andmethods are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein,but rather, components of each assembly and/or method may be utilizedindependently and separately from other components described herein.

While the invention has been described in terms of various specificembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventioncan be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bag comprising: a storage portion configured tohold at least one item; and a ballistic shield removably coupled to saidstorage portion.
 2. A bag in accordance with claim 1 further comprisingat least one forearm strap operationally coupled to said ballisticshield.
 3. A bag in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at leasttwo forearm straps operationally coupled to said ballistic shield on afirst side.
 4. A bag in accordance with claim 1 further comprising atleast one shoulder strap operationally coupled to said storage portionenabling a user having a back to carry the bag on their back as abackpack.
 5. A bag in accordance with claim 3 further comprising atleast one shoulder strap operationally coupled to said storage portionenabling a user having a back to carry the bag on their back as abackpack.
 6. A bag in accordance with claim 3 further comprising atleast one handgrip operationally coupled to said ballistic shield onsaid first side.
 7. A bag in accordance with claim 5 further comprisingat least one handgrip operationally coupled to said ballistic shield onsaid first side.
 8. A backpack comprising: a storage portion; at leastone shoulder strap operationally coupled to said storage portionenabling a user having a back to carry said backpack on their back; andat least one forearm strap operationally coupled to said storage portionenabling the user to use a forearm to support at least a portion of thebackpack via said forearm strap.
 9. A backpack in accordance with claim8 wherein the backpack further comprises at least one ballistic shieldportion operationally coupled to said storage portion and wherein atleast one forearm strap is operationally coupled to said storage portionvia said ballistic shield portion.
 10. A backpack in accordance withclaim 9 wherein the ballistic shield portion is removably coupled tosaid storage portion, and the forearm strap enables the user to supportthe ballistic shield portion independent of the storage portion.
 11. Abackpack in accordance with claim 9 further comprising at least twoforearm straps operationally coupled to said storage portion enablingthe user to use a forearm to support at least a portion of the backpackvia said forearm straps.
 12. A backpack in accordance with claim 8further comprising at least two forearm straps operationally coupled tosaid storage portion enabling the user to use a forearm to support atleast a portion of the backpack via said forearm straps.
 13. A backpackin accordance with claim 8 further comprising at least one handgripoperationally coupled to said storage portion.
 14. A backpack inaccordance with claim 10 further comprising at least one handgripoperationally coupled to the ballistic shield portion.
 15. A backpack inaccordance with claim 14 wherein said at least one handgripoperationally coupled to the ballistic shield portion perpendicular tosaid forearm straps.
 16. A backpack in accordance with claim 14 whereinsaid at least one handgrip operationally coupled to the ballistic shieldportion parallel to said forearm straps.
 17. A method comprising:receiving from a customer an indication of at least one backpackdimension; and sizing a ballistic shield based at least partially uponthe received dimension.
 18. A method in accordance with claim 17 furthercomprising providing a cover for the ballistic shield wherein the coverincludes at least one forearm strap attached to the cover.
 19. A methodin accordance with claim 17 further comprising: providing a cover forthe ballistic shield wherein the cover includes at least one forearmstrap attached to the cover; placing the ballistic shield inside thecover; and attaching the cover to a backpack having the receiveddimension.
 20. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein saidattaching comprises removably attaching the cover to a backpack havingthe received dimension.